Where Are Your Keys? Explained

Where Are Your Keys? (WAYK) is an interactive technique for learning languages directly from native speakers. It is a game-based approach that uses gesture and sign language to facilitate immediate communication in the target language.^[1] The game is based on repeated questions and answers, with a set of gestures. Initially, the student makes gestures for specific, concrete objects, such as keys or a rock, and then moves on to adjectives. The student always responds in full sentences. The language gestures used are based on American Sign Language.^[2] Because the focus is creating an interactive game between the native speaker and the learner, it may be preferable to select a native speaker without language-teaching experience. The game trains speakers in language fluency.

The technique has been used in instruction of Alutiiq,^[3] Chinuk Wawa, Konkow,^[4] Kutenai,^[5] Mohawk,^[6] Navajo,^[7] O'odham,^{[7] [8]} Squamish,^{[9] [10]} Unangax,^[11] French,^[12] Latin,^[13] Irish,^{[14] [15]} Korean,^[16] Turkish,^[17] and at a Chickasaw language immersion camp for families.^[18] Users report that the Where Are Your Keys? technique can be used with any language for which a willing fluent speaker is available.^{[2] [19]}

According to creator Evan Gardner, Where Are Your Keys? is partially based on the Total Physical Response technique.^{[1] [20]}

Where Are Your Keys? language acquisition workshops have been held at the American Indian Language Development Institute of the University of Arizona,^[7] at Stanford University,^[21] at Northwest Indian College,^[22] at the 2010 "Save Your Language" Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia,^[23] at the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages,^[24] and at the 2012 Maryland Foreign Language Association Fall Conference, held at Notre Dame of Maryland University.^[25]

As of 2012, a Where Are Your Keys? podcast^[26] and wiki^[27] are available, as well as online videos and an official website.^[4]

See also

• Total physical response (TPR)
• Fluency
• Hand game

External links

• Where Are Your Keys? official site
• Description of WAYK technique
• Where Are Your Keys? Wiki

Notes and References

1. Web site: Where Are Your Keys? a language fluency game - Boing Boing. Boing Boing. 19 November 2009. 2 December 2012.
2. Web site: Rachael Ash. Learning to Learn Language—My Recent Journey Through Where Are Your Keys. The Everyday Language Learner. January 2000. 22 January 2013.
3. News: Friedman. Sam. They're speaking Alutiiq in Anchorage. Washington Times / AP. 2014-05-03. 2014-02-23.
4. Web site: Jim Bauman. Where are your keys?. Our Language, Native American Language Revitalization. 2 December 2012. 2012-10-06.
5. News: Lailani Upham. Group seeks to save Kootenai language by asking "Where Are Your Keys?". Char-Koosta News - Official Newspaper of the Salish and Kootenai Tribes. 2 December 2012. 2012-03-18.
6. Web site: Mohawk Youth Explore Culture, Language, Tradition and Effective Governance — National Centre for First Nations Governance. National Center for First Nations Governance News. 2 December 2012. March 2012.
7. Web site: Workshop Summary: Where Are Your Keys?. AILDI - American Indian Language Development Institute. 2 December 2012.
8. Web site: Indigenous Languages Conferences, Workshops, and Symposia for 2012. First Peoples: Blog. 2 December 2012. 2012-01-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20180718100737/http://www.firstpeoplesnewdirections.org/blog/?p=4627. 18 July 2018. dead. dmy-all.
9. News: Tessa Holloway. Squamish Nation struggles to preserve a threatened language. North Shore News. 11 October 2011. 2 December 2012.
10. Web site: Technology and 10%: Language Revitalization. RPM.fm, Indigenous Music Culture. 2 December 2012. 2011-10-26.
11. Web site: Method in Focus: Where Are Your Keys?. SpokenFirst, Your Resource for All Language-Related News in Indian Country. 2 December 2012. 2010-08-23.
12. Web site: French WAYK in Quebec. 2 December 2012.
13. Web site: Rachael Ash. Pomegranate beginnings: Creating Language-Seekers: My Recent Journey Through Where Are Your Keys. Pomegranate beginnings. 2 December 2012. 2012-04-05.
14. Web site: Irish Gaelic Archives. Where Are Your Keys.
15. Web site: Irish Language WAYK in Portland area. Constant Contact.
16. Web site: Korean Language Hunters: Play Your Way to Fluency. Self Study Korean. 2 December 2012. 8 March 2012.
17. Web site: Joel Thomas. Fethiye WAYK (Turkish Session Diary). Fethiye WAYK. 4 June 2014. 2014-06-04.
18. Web site: Family Language Immersion Camp - Tatanka Ranch. Chickasaw.TV. 2 December 2012. 1 September 2011.
19. Web site: Where Are Your Keys? In my brain, that's where.. Story by the Throat!. 2 December 2012. 2010-02-28.
20. News: Squamish Nation activist plans conference to save First Nations languages in B.C.. Straight.com. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 2 December 2012. 2010-05-21.
21. Web site: "Where Are Your Keys?" Language Acquisition Workshop Day 1. Stanford University Event Calendar. 2 December 2012. 2011-11-05.
22. News: Method in Focus: Where Are Your Keys? . Laura . Brooks . Spoken First. Your Resource for All Language-Related News in Indian Country . Falmouth Institute . 23 August 2010 . 22 January 2013.
23. Web site: Facilitators « Save Your Language Conference. Save Your Language, June 5–6, 2010. 4 May 2010. 2 December 2012.
24. Web site: 32. Where Are Your Keys? (Free). Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. 22 January 2013. https://archive.today/20130415111657/http://www.nectfl.org/workshops-32-where-are-your-keys. dead. 15 April 2013.
25. Web site: MFLA Fall Conference. 22 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20121021075118/http://www.mflamd.org/pdf/12MFLAFallConferenceFlyer.pdf. 21 October 2012. dead. dmy-all.
26. Web site: iTunes - Podcasts - The Where Are Your Keys? LLC Blog. iTunes. 2 December 2012.
27. Web site: Where are your Keys? Wiki. 2 December 2012. https://archive.today/20130416113906/http://wiki.whereareyourkeys.org/Main_Page. 16 April 2013. dead. dmy-all.